Dana Altman picked as Pac-12 Coach of the Year

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JAHII CARSON and SHABAZZ MUHAMMAD EARN CO-FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR HONORS;

ANDRÉ ROBERSON EARNS DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR HONORS:

DWIGHT POWELL EARNS MOST IMPROVED PLAYER OF THE YEAR;

DANA ALTMAN HONORED AS THE JOHN WOODEN COACH OF THE YEAR

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. – In a vote of the 12 Conference coaches, CALIFORNIA junior guard Allen Crabbe has been named the 2012-13 Pac-12 Men's Basketball Player of the Year; ARIZONA STATE guard Jahii Carson and UCLA guard Shabazz Muhammad have been named Pac-12 Co-Freshman of the Year; COLORADO junior forward André Roberson has been named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year; STANFORD junior forward Dwight Powell has been named Pac-12 Most Improved Player of the Year; and Dana Altman of OREGON is the John Wooden Coach of the Year, Commissioner Larry Scott announced today.

CRABBE was instrumental in leading Cal to a tie for second in the Pac-12 standings, and to its fourth 20-win season in five years. He becomes the seventh Golden Bear to earn Pac-12 Player of the Year honors, joining Jason Kidd (1994), Shareef Abdur-Rahim (1996), Ed Gray (1997), Sean Lampley (2001), Jerome Randle (2010) and Jorge Gutierrez (2012). Crabbe averaged 18.6 points per game/1st in Pac-12 and 6.0 rebounds per game/20th in the Pac-12. In addition, he was among the league leaders in free throw percentage (.810/6th), steals (1.2 spg/14th), three-point field goals made per game (2.0 pg/5th) and minutes played (36.1 mpg/2nd). Should he lead the league in scoring through the postseason, he would become the eighth different Cal player to lead the league in scoring since 1994. He currently has 1,489 career points, good for 10th all-time on the Cal career scoring list.

PAC-12 CO-FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR

CARSON becomes the fourth Arizona State player to earn Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, and first since 2003, joining Byron Scott (1980), Jamal Faulkner (1991), and Ike Diogu (2003). Carson has logged more minutes than any other player this season, averaging 37.0 minutes per game. He’s among the league’s top five in scoring and assists, currently averaging 17.7 points per game (4th in the Pac-12) and 5.0 assists per game (3rd in the Pac-12). He’s posted 14 20-point games this season, tied for most in the league with Pac-12 Player of the Year Allen Crabbe.

MUHAMMAD becomes the eighth UCLA player to earn Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, and first since 2008, joining Pooh Richardson (1986), Don MacLean (1989), Baron Davis (1998) Jason Kapono (2000), Jordan Farmar (2005), Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (2006), and Kevin Love (2008). Muhammad was a key piece all season for Pac-12 regular season champion UCLA, leading the Bruins in scoring (18.3 ppg/3rd in Pac-12) and three-point field goal percentage (.417/3rd in Pac-12), and was second in assists (3.7 apg/8th in Pac-12). He posted 13 20-point games this season and added three double-doubles. Muhammad was one of only two freshmen (also teammate Kyle Anderson) to be named Player of the Week this season, earning the honor following a 27-point effort in a win over Missouri.

PAC-12 DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

ROBERSON was key on defense for Colorado this year, as the Buffs limited their opponents to a Pac-12 best 62.2 points per game in league play. He led the league with 11.5 rebounds per game and 2.3 steals per game, while also contributing with 1.4 block shots per game (8th in the Pac-12). His 1,019 career rebounds are second all-time at Colorado.

PAC-12 MOST IMPROVED PLAYER OF THE YEAR

POWELL is ninth in scoring in the Pac-12 (15.1 ppg) and eighth in the league in rebounds (8.2 rpg) this season. Powell’s numbers improved from his sophomore season when he averaged 5.8 points and 4.6 rebounds. In addition, he scored in double figures in all 18 league games, had eight 20-point games and nine double-doubles this season.

PAC-12 COACH OF THE YEAR

ALTMAN guided Oregon to a second-place tie in the Pac-12 standings after being picked by the media in the preseason to finish seventh. Under Altman, the Ducks have posted their second consecutive second-place finish and third consecutive 20-win season. Altman has now won Coach of the Year honors in four different conferences - Pac-12 (Oregon, 2013), Missouri Valley (Creighton, 2001 and 2002), Big Eight (Kanas State, 1993), and Southern (Marshall, 1990). He’s the third Oregon coach to receive Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors, joining Dick Harter (1977) and Ernie Kent (2002). Altman has a career record of 478-277 (.633), while his Oregon record stands at 68-34 (.667).

THE VOTE: Coach of the Year, All-Conference, All-Freshman, All-Defensive teams and Most Improved Player are voted on by the coaches. Coaches are not permitted to vote for themselves or their own players for the honors.

Pictures from our front porch of the Stout Fire from Sutherlin on the evening of July 30, 2015. Later in the evening after the moon rise, the effect of the smoke from the fires in Douglas County on the moon.